Sprinkler



G. BUELNA SPRINKLER Aug. 20, 1940.

Filed March 1, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 21 7 Eflzzs/ba,

'- 20, 1940; G. BUELNA 2,212,008

SPRINKLER Filqd March 1, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 leg! Patented Aug. 20, 1940 SPRINKLER Guadalupe Buelna, Santa Barbara, ,Galifl, asiii signor to L. R. Nelson Mfg. Co., Inc., Peoria, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application March 1, 1939, Serial No. 259,099

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 10 Claims.

This invention relates to water sprinklers of the type employed in treating extensive lawns, gardens, and on golf courses. H

More particularly the invention has to do a type of sprinkler having a slow rotary movement but wherein the device is made to have a step-by-step progress.

The main object of the invention is to furnish a form of mechanism wherein a continuously rotated element driven by a nozzle stream transfers to an arm of the sprinkler distant from the axis of rotation of said sprinkler a series of blows by which to urge the 'same in a step by step manner for thorough wetting of the area to be treated. 7

Another object lies in providing a rapidly whirling driven member, and an arm driven therebyso mounted as to swing in a given plane and to I 1 Again an object is to so mount a whirling arm with respect to a part of the sprinkler body that, whereas, under certain conditions it would have no efiect upon said sprinkler, at a high speed I of rotation due to centrifugal force will be made to strike said part of the sprinkler body and thereby urge the same forward.

Further, to so arrange the named structure that the arm at each'rotation or whirling action will strike the sprinkler body and thus urge'it forward a distance on its mounting commensurate with the blow delivered and then due to the'interruption of its whirling action will automatically bereleased, taking up a further whirling action for succeeding blows upon the'body.

Besides the objects thus noted the invention is directed to certain structures to be brought out herein and to'iorm the subject of some of the claims to follow.

That the invention may be thoroughly understood inall of its aspects the appended drawings are provided forming part hereof:

Figure l is a plan of one of the forms of sprinkler involving the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Figure 2a is an elevation of an arm taken on line 2a of Figure 1;

Figure 3 illustrates a driven member as seen at its under surfaceor that surface against which driving power is applied'in the form of a watert;

Figure 4 is .a sectional elevation of a slightly with Figure 8 is ;a plan of a distributer plate shown ,0

in said Figure 4. 1

In Figure 1 the character I denotes asprinkler body mounted to rotate in a horizontal plane on any suitable water supply portion 2 as is cusparts shown in said 'Figtomary in devices of this type, 3 denoting'any usual discharge nozzle, while dis a jet nozzle' for a purpose to be made known herein. In this instance a disc or wheel 5 fluted at 5 is mounted on the top of the body I adapted to 'rotateya suitable support or abutment 6 being provided therefor. tends from the body i from the side thereof directly opposite the nozzle 3 in balanced relation to the end thatfree rotation of-the body on its mounting will result, the axis'of said disc or wheel 5'preferably lying between .said nozzle 3: and arm I in,, preserving balance of thewhole.

Arising from the center of the disc '5 is a stem. 1 which may take the form of a screw acting as a shaft for the disc, and ,fixedin said support-or abutment 6, the head of the-screw serving'to re- 5 tain an arm 8 thereon. This arm atone end or that at said stem 1 is provided with a holew9 much larger than the stemand' said end of the arm, in the present instance, lies some distance above the top of the disc 5 upon a hub 5"0f: the {$5 latter, and from thence is curved downwardly, the outer portion of such arm normally resting upon said disc. Near the edge of the disc a pin I0 is erected, there being a hole II in the arm to receive said pin and larger than the latter; said .4

arm being extended some distance beyondathe 40 for this particular relation of the two arms will be brought out in the description of the operation of the device. At this time, howevenit is to be stated that the disc 5 is intended to rotate at a high speed. Since, now, the arm 8 .Which In this instance, also, an" arm. I, ex-

is to rotate with said disc would naturally tend 5B about two results.

to set up undue vibration in the device as a whole a counterbalance lies at the discs edge diametrically opposite the position of said arm 8 in the form of a heavy lug I3. By the latter provision, therefore, a nice balance of the assembled rotating parts is maintained.

The issuance of a stream from the main nozzle 3, when the latter is directed away from the axis of rotation of the sprinker, results of course, in no rotative action of the said sprinker. However, since as the device is constituted results in a stream of water from the secondary nozzle 4 such stream will be directed upon the fluted discperiphery setting the disc in rapid rotation. As this results the arm 8 is likewise rotated due to the engagement of said arm with the disc's pin It is now to be especially noted that, as has been set out previously, the outer free end of said arm 8 lies at a lower position, when at rest, than does the end thereof engaged upon the stem or screw 1. Due, now to the rapid rotation of the arm with the disc 5 the heavy outer or free end of the former in being actedzupon by centrifugal force will be lifted, the arm tending to straighten out and takes up a plane of rotation at right angles to the axis of rotation. Asthis occurs it is clear that as the partsare arranged according to thedrawings the said free end of the arm during rotation will strike with considerable force the extremity of the arm "I above the notch I2. The blow thus delivered brings First, the sprinkler .body is advanced on itsmounting a distance commensurate with shock imparted thereto thereby moving the nozzle 3 to a new sprinkling position. Second, the arm 8 having delivered its blowand having thus lost its momentum now falls by gravity to momentarily rest upon the disc, the latter, after the instance of faltering occasioned by the named action again whirling said arm for another impact and a succeeding slight advancement of the sprinkler. Continued action will thus move the sprinkler inthe short step -by-step ter under pressure may flow, such a form being illustrated in Figures 4 to 8. In Figure 4 a shell portion I4 is mounted upon a supply pipe I5 by screw threads, for example,'water from said'pipe entering said shell, and for the purpose of imparting a circular swirling movement to the water within the shell a plug "3 may be secured in the threaded portion of the shell where it screws upon the pipe. This plug at several places'at or near its periphery is furnished with slits l1, Figure 8, inclined at an angle to the axis of the bore of the pipe l5, the'outlets of the slits being directed toward the Walls of the shell within which the water is delivered, the'purpose of which will appear later.

'The described'shell I4 is open at its top and receives upon it by screw threads, for example, a closure or cap l8 having a centralbore l9, said cap preferably having a central depending extension 20 through which the bore opens, and serving as a bearing for a sleeve 2| rotatable therein. p

Fixed upon the upper or outer end the sleeve is the the body 22 of a sprinkler provided with a nozzle or nozzles 23, while at the lower or inner end the sleeve is an angular fiange 24, a packing ring 25 lying between the flange and the end of said central extension 20 whereby water cannot escape from the otherwise completely closed shell structure. This structure as may be seen permits rotation of the body 22 and the said sleeve relative to the shell |4-|8.

In addition to its make-up the sleeve 2| carries, outward from the bore thereof, a downwardly directed extension, finger, or arm 2|.

In this instance a tube 20 depends from the body 22 centrally of the bore of the sleeve 2|] forming a bearing for a shaft 26. Secured on the shaft within the shell I4 is a crossarm 2'! having at one end depending spaced fingers 28, Figures 5 and 7, while at the other end the cross arm has one or more vanes 29, the whole being balanced according to recognized practice after mounting thereon a vertically swinging arm 30. This arm at one end is in the present case upturned and extends through a hole 3| in the crossarm at that end having the mentioned vanes 29 and having a head 30 thereon to maintainpositionin said hole while permitting free vertical play of such arm but limiting the downward movement thereof of the other end of the latter which is free and of some little weight, this said end being retained between the fingers 28 though free to rise and fall. It is seen that the overall lengthy of the crossarm is such that such member is free to rotate with its shaft 26 without striking the depending finger or arm 2| of the sleeve 2|. It is observed, however, that the length of the arm 30 is such that it extends to a position whereat timesit will engage the said finger or arm 2|.

In operation the water entering the shell |4-'| 8 in its swirling motion set up by the inclination of the slits acting each as a nozzle, the crossarm is rotated since the vanes 29 'at one end thereof and the fingers 28 andlever 3!] at the other end are carried along in the flow, the water, of course, finally passing up through the sleeve 2| to and through the nozzles 23, the pressure within the shell fitting the crossarm and preventing dragging of its fingers 28 on the shellfloor beneath.

At a given 'low rate of rotation of the crossarm that member would not strike the arm or finger 2| of the sleeve but at ordinary Water pressure for sprinkling purposes the rotation would be such that, as in the device first described herein, the said crossarm due to momentum will seek a plane of' rotation shown in broken lines and thereby engage the finger on arm 2 I and in delivering a smart blow thereon impart to it and the sprinkler body a movement forward in rotation according to the force of the'blow delivered.

Again, as in the said first described form, after delivering the blow the arm 30 will descend by gravity and pass by the arm 2| but again striking it in the next rotation of the crossarm for a suaceeding advancement of sprinkler movement.

In Figure 2a it is noted that the side surface of that portion of the arm I against which the arm 8 strikes is inclined at an angle to the perpendicular as at I This may be preferred since the said arm 8 upon striking the surface thus inpose described, a sprinkler body mounted to rotate including a nozzle, 9. member mounted to rotate 'by-impact thereon of a water stream from said nozzle, an arm mounted to be rotated through the instrumentality of said rotatable member, said arm being movable in a plane other than its plane of rotation, and in both its rotational movement and its movement adapted to strike a part of said body to thereby impart thereto a slight rotational movement, said arm being pivotedon a part} of the structure of the sprinkler and having a free end.

2. In a sprinkler of the nature and for the purpose described, a sprinkler body mounted to rotate and supplied with water under pressure, and including a nozzle, a member mounted on the body rotated by a Water stream issuing from said nozzle, an arm mounted on the rotatable member to rotate therewith and having a free end adapted to swing in a different plane from that of its rotation, said arm in rotation adapted to strike a part of the sprinkler body to impart a slight rotative movement to the latter on its mounting, said arm having, upon its impact with such part a momentary cessation of rotation thereof to free itself from said part and continue its rotative movement.

3. In a sprinkler of the nature and for the purpose described, a sprinkler body mounted to rotate and supplied with water under pressure, and including a nozzle, a member ro-tatably mounted on the body in position to receive a water stream from said nozzle to cause the same to rotate, an arm carried by and positively driven by said member, said arm being pivotally mounted and free at one-end to move in a plane at right angles to its rotary motion with the member, a part on the sprinkler body normally in the path of the rotating arm to receive a blow imparted by the latter, said arm in a momentary cessation of rotation taking up another position freeing itself from said part to continue its forced rotation with said member.

4. In a sprinkler of the type and for the purpose described, a sprinkler body mounted to rotate and connected with a source .of water pressure, and including an outlet for such Water pressure, a member mounted on the structure adapted to be rotated by water from said outlet, an arm pivotally mounted substantially at the center of rotation of the member positively rotated by the latter, and having a free end adapted to freely move in a plane substantially at right angles to the plane of rotation of said member, the pivot of said arm and the free end of the same normally lying in different spaced planes paralleling the said plane of'rotation, said free end of the arm due to momentum during rotation moving into the plane'of pivot rotation, a part of the said sprinkler body lying in the path of the said free end and struck thereby when the latter moves into the last named plane, said body being thereby urged a step in rotation on its mounting.

5. In a sprinkler of the type and for the purpose described, a sprinkler body mountedto rotate and connected with a source of water pressure, and including an outlet for such water pressure, a member rotatably mounted on the structure, an arm pivotally mounted at one end at substantially the center of rotation of the member and having a free end normally resting upon the same and positively rotated by it, said free end lying below the pivoted end of said arm and free.

to swing in a plane substantially at right angles to the plane of rotation, the same adapted in one position of its swing to strike part of said sprinkler body'to advance the latter in its direction or rotation on its mounting,said arm in another position freely passing said part. 1

6. In a sprinkler of the type and for the purpose described, a closed cavited housing connected with a source of water supply, a cavited sprinkler body rotatably mounted on and'abovesaid housing receiving water from the latter, said body having an arm fixed with respect thereto and extending into the housing, a rotatable crossarm within the housing having its axis of rotation substantially coincident with the axis of rotation of the body, and an arm pivoted on said crossarm adaptedto'swing substantially at right angles to the plane of rotation of the latter, and in one position of its swing at slow rotation passing freely by the said arm of the'body, and adapted at high rotation to be carried by momentum into sharp abutment with such body-arm to impel it and the sprinkler body in the direction and rotation.

7. In a sprinkler of the type and for the purpose described, a closed housing connected with a source of water pressureand having an inlet fashioned to set up a circular whirling motion of water entering the same, a hollow sprinkler body rotatable above the housing, its bore communicating with the cavity of the latter, said body having an arm fixed with respect thereto and depending within the housing and oifset from the center of body rotation, a rotatable cross arm within the housing having its axis substantially coincident with that of the body and an arm pivoted on the crossarm having a free end adapted to move ina direction at right angles to the rotation of the former and in one position of that movement adapted to strike the said arm of the sprinkler body during rotation, and in another position to freely pass by the body-arm, part of the described operating structure including a portion depending into the whirling flow of water to cause rotation of the crossarm by contact of said flow with such position.

8. In a sprinkler of the type named, asprinkler body connected with a source of water supply and rotatable in a substantially horizontal plane, a positively driven rotatable member at the center of rotation of the said body, an arm pivotally mounted on the member free to rise and fall with respect thereto and positively rotated thereby, said arm having a free end normally lying lower than the position of its pivoted end and in that position being unrestricted in rota-- tive action during slow rotation with the member, and said free end at high rotation with the latter adapted by centrifugal force to lift and swing about the pivoted end of said arm in substantially the same plane therewith, said body having an extension distant from the center of body rotation lying in the path of movement of said free end of the arm at high rotation of the same.

9. 'A sprinkler of the type named including in its construction a sprinkler body rotatable in a horizontal plane upon a support, a driven structure including an arm pivoted thereon, adapted to be rotated at high speed adjacent said body, said arm being driven by the structure but free to move in a plane at right angles to the plane of rotating motion thereof, said arm having a free end normally lyingin a different plane from the pivoted end-thereof during slow rates of rotation and adapted at higher rates of rotation to rotate in a different plane and in substantially the same plane with saidpivoted end, said body having an extension to receive a blow from said free end at such higher rate of rotation thereof.

10. In a sprinkler of the nature and for the purpose described, a sprinkler body mounted to rotate and supplied with Water under pressure, and including a nozzle, a member mounted on the body rotated by a water stream issuing from said nozzle, an arm mounted on the rotatable member to rotate therewith and having a free end adapted to swing in a different plane from that of its rotation, said arm in rotation adapted to strike a part of the sprinkler body to impart a slight rotative movement to the latter on its mounting, said arm having upon its impact with such part, a momentary cessation of rotation thereon to free itself from said part and continue its rotative movement, the surface of said part receiving the blow being inclined at an angle to the plane of rotation of the device.

GUADALUPE BUELNA. 

